


It was my duty

by TheAnimangaGirl



Series: Dragon Age Stories [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, I just needed to get this idea out of my mind, what if
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-11-02 09:17:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10941489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAnimangaGirl/pseuds/TheAnimangaGirl
Summary: What if the Hero of Ferelden died protecting Anders from Rylock?





	It was my duty

**Author's Note:**

> Read my ‘canon’ version of this in my series ‘The Amell Chronicles’

Based on [ this ](https://dragonageconfessions.tumblr.com/post/96166411498/confession-one-of-the-things-that-really-ruined) confession. 

* * *

 

When Amell heard Anders request about his phylactery she could not refuse. She knew she might as well be stepping on the Chantry’s toes, bus at the moment she didn’t particularly cared, she had a virtually impenetrable diplomatic immunity, as Grey Warden and as Arlessa. Heck if she wanted to be petty she could even use her position as Mistress. If she knew where her own phylactery was she would go and destroy it in an instant. However, hers was probably in the White Spire, or somewhere in Orlais, she never thought to ask about what happened to the phylacteries of the mages who became Grey Wardens. She adjusted her sword and staff.

“Allright anders, where is this cache?”

“It should be here in Amaranthine, near to the main south entrance, you are actually going to help me with this?”

“Yes I am, I mean I was recruited into the Grey Wardens for helping my friend to do the exact same thing, maybe if I do it again I will get a promotion”

Nathaniel pressed the bridge of his nose. Amell feels somehow bad for him, at this rate he was going to start graying soon and it would have nothing to do with the taint.

Oghren gave a deep gulp to prefered liquor. “That’s the boss for you kid, ready to break the rules or necks for the nug humpers that follow her around”

“Hey!” called Nathaniel offended

“Didn’t we fought an army of undead and demons for that bow you are carrying, Howe?” replied the dwarf offhandedly

“I... alright, just let’s get over with this, but let me tell you this smells like a trap”

“Possibly” commented Amell. It did sounded _too_ easy.

The building was an abandoned warehouse, and in accordance to the elf’s instruction was right next to the southern entrance of the city just in the side of the Market district. Her hand hesitated before touching the door.

“Be ready” she instructed her companions, the three males nodded, weapons in hand ready for a possibly ambush. She pushed the door only to find….an empty room.

“No guards?” asked Anders surprised “Maybe they don’t want to bring attention to the cache, could we be that lucky?”

“Maybe we were, but now that you said it, you just cursed it”

“Don’t be a pessimist my sweet and fierce...A…” she rose one eyebrow “Warden Commander”

Amell nodded slightly, they we in a mission, titles could go out the window once they were sure nobody was listening. Last she needed was rumors on how her troops didn’t respected her, specially if the conspiracy was as alive as she suspected it was. They inspected the room, found staves,  caps and lyrium, but no phylacteries.

“Let’s move to the next room” said amell gesturing toward the back of the structure. And just like she had suspected five Templars were there awaiting. Leaded by the same Knight Captain that wanted to take Anders before his conscription.

“Told you” said Nathaniel in a low voice

“And here I almost believed the infamous Anders wouldn’t take the bait”

“Ah yes, I suppose I should have known it would be you” said Anders with a humor voice, but amell was not a fool, she could hear the apprehension behind his relaxed tone. Ser Rylock and anders apparently had history.

“You made a poor choice with this one. Anders will never summit, not to us and not to you”

“He has made an excellent Grey Warden so far” replied Amell, mustering every skill of cohersion she knew. This Templar was determined to drag anders back to the Circle, and that was something she would not allow. The Grey Wardens of Amaranthine were _hers_ , the Arling was _hers._ The two years she had been outside the circle had taught her a dangerous lesson, she even as a mage didn’t had to listen to the Templars, they were as human and as flawed as the ‘wicked’ mages they swore to guard. If this Knight Captain didn’t tread carefully she was willing to pull enough stings to weaken the order as a whole, at least in Ferelden, she doubted alistair would object much.

“ ‘So far’, yes” said Ser Rylock looking at her as one would do while assessing an opponent. Amell stance opened just a bit, but enough to have balance should she need to draw her sword and shield. “I’ll make sure that this murderer is never a bother to anyone again”

“What? No, you can’ arrest me! King Alistair allowed my conscription!” cried Anders with urgency giving Amell a panicked look. Before Amell could absolutely clarify that yes, the King had allowed it, she as Commander of the Grey retained the right of conscription. Ser Rylock continued.

“The Chantry’s Authority superseded the crown in this matter. You cannot hide in the Grey Warden’s ranks”

Amell could almost hear her ideas boiling. This   _templar_ just undermined Alistair’s authority, her authority and the Grey Warden’s authority. She felt insulted to the bone. Oghren and Nathaniel felt the immediate change in the atmosphere and slowly drew their weapon, ready to defend both the Warden Commander and Anders, who at the moment didn’t looked like to cooky mage he usually was.

“No, he stays with us” she said , her lips pursed and her tone harsh. Oghren swallowed, Amell was not a woman who lost her temper easily, he remembered the time she broke his nose after a lewd comment, three times she had told him to stop. He had ignored her as he always did when people called him out, but on the fourth occasion he said something suggestive to Morrigan, Amell had stopped dead in her tracks turned around and punched him directly on the nose, gauntlet and all. He felt as if bronto had crushed his face, when he recovered his vision the mage had been on top of him, one foot firmly on his chest piece and a sword right next to his neck. Her lips were pursed and her eyes were glaring. ‘ _Do it one more time Oghren and I swear I will decapitate you right where you stand, Blight or no Blight’_. Heck during his time in the Fereldan army seasoned men of war shuddered when remembering the battle of Denerim.

“Hardly surprising coming from another Mage” said Rylock condescendingly  “I do not know how you inspire such loyalty, Anders, but it will avail you naught. Now you come with us.”

“He will not!” said Amell unsheathing her runned sword, the electricity cracked violently in the air as Oghren Nathaniel and Anders dispatched of the other four templars.

However everything happened so quickly, Amell was fully prepared to finish Ser Rylock when she felt a sharp pain in her neck. Her eyes widened in horror as she felt her blood escaping her body. She wasn’t still completely recovered after the Inferno Golem nor the Architect’s experiments, instead of feeling the Taint helping her she felt it escaping. She was feeling cold, so cold.

“Commander!” yelled an alarmed Anders applying pressure in her neck. Nathaniel and Oghren removed her armor quickly. Nathaniel’s face was turning an unnatural pale color and Oghren was stoic as a stone.

“Stay with us, Commander, Stone take me, don’t you dare dying now!”

She felt colder and colder and tried to speak.

“Tell….”

“Don’t try to speak Amell!” urged Anders as he focused all his mana in closing the gash

“Shhh...it's….it's...cold”

“Anders!” urged Nathaniel as she mixed some potions, but they had long stopped making an effect on the woman.

“Tell….the King…”

“Stop you two” said Oghen with his eyes glassy, he knew what was going to happen. “Let the Commander speak, we owe her that much”

Oghren took his gauntlets off and squeezed the bloodied hands of the dying mage. “You….you wanted for us to say something to the kid, right?”

Amell gave a weak smile. “Tell him….tell him that I loved him….more than anything”

“He knows Commander” said the dwarf solemnly.

“Tell him...I….I….I am sorry” now the Warden Commander began to cry. “I…” she gave an anguished and painful breath “I really...didn’t...wanted…..to...let...him...alone”

“Of course you didn’t”

“He will be so alone”

“He is never alone, Commander”

“He is so lonely” she replied with small and painful sobs “I don’t want to go, he is going to be alone”

“He is strong Commander”

“I don’t want to go Oghren, I…..it doesn't hurt…..it doesn't hurt….” she was delirious, possibly due the loss of blood.

“The band….I will wake up at camp, right?”

“Yes Amell, you will”

“The Archdemon, he was so big…..Morrigan, where is Morrigan? She has the baby….”

“What baby?” asked Anders thru tears

“Another story for another time” siad Oghren sharply.

“Leliana, tell Leliana to protect Morrigan”

“I will Commander, we will make sure Amaranthine stands, we are not going without a fight”

“I don’t want to go….Alistair...Alistair...Alis….tair” and the Warden Commander let go her last breath.

* * *

It was as if he felt a demon squeezed his heart.The feeling was unsettling, as if something horrible had happened.

“You Majesty, are you alright?” asked a servant as he picked up the cup of wine the king had just dropped.

“I….I don’t know I just got this horrible feeling that something was wrong”

“It’s understandable, my King, Darkspawn is still rampant in Amaranthine, perhaps your Grey Warden reflexes are still reacting to that?”

“Maybe” he said massaging his neck, he had been working for almost twelve hours, apparently reconstructing a Kingdom was more tiring than he expected. “Any words from the Warden Commander?”

“No ser, not since three days ago, Arlessa Amell did promised a report to arrive in two days”

“I hope she doesn’t forget, like last time” he said stretching his arms. “Prepare me a bath, I think we should call it a day Corin”

“Yes, your Majesty”

The bath did little for calming him, but did managed to for him to felt fresh, and ready for bed. He slept very bad that night, tossing and turning, he even dreamt of Amell, but it wasn’t the normal warm and happy dreams he usually had instead he was dressed as a templar, and it was her Harrowing, she looked scared, vulnerable. Afraid of him, it was as if he was following a script, he couldn’t move at will, he rose his sword and....”

He woke up panting, the bed sheets were soaked in sweat, his breathing was ragged. That’s it, something was wrong with Amell, and appropriate or not he was going to travel to Amaranthine. He woke up, dressed himself and walked to the throne room, where he saw the court whispering, some of them were crying? Just what was happening. Coring almost jumped from his skin when he saw the King.

“Your….your majesty!”

“I’ll bite, what in Andraste's name is going on?”

“My King” said Corin hiding a letter behind him “have you have breakfast yet, it is too early and….”

“What is that letter”

“A….a matter for later my King”

Alistair’s eyes narrowed “I am not asking Corin, give me that letter”

The young secretary bowed and gave the open letter to the King.

“Good to know my mail is being opened”

“It was marked urgent , my ing, it comes directly from Vigil’s Keep”

“Then why didn’t you said so?!” he said grabbing the letter, but instead of finding Amell’s perfect permanship he found an elegant script with rougher edges”

“ _To Denerim’s Place and to those it concerns,_

_There is no easy way to convey what happened yesterday. So instead of softening the blow I’ll be direct._

_Our Arlessa,the Hero of Ferelden meet the Maker yesterday during an altercation with Templars in Amaranthine City. She was defending a fellow Grey Warden when she was cowardly attacked by a Templar Knight Captain identified as Ser Rylock, she yet lives and it’s in custody awaiting further instruction. We are aware that the Arlessa lacked any family, however it is not secret that the King found in her a companion. A senior Warden will be dispatched from Orlais as soon as they are able in order to fill the vacuum of power left by the Arlessa._

_Manage this information carefully._

_-Ser Garavel, Seneschal of Vigil’s Keep.”_

 

The King’s face went from red to pale white as he crumpled the letter.

“Your Majesty” asked Corin softly

“Out” said the King with this teeth gritted and the letted became smaller and smaller in his fist.

“Your…”

“I said OUT, EVERYBODY OUT THIS INSTANT!” no one was foolish enough to ignore such order. Once the doors were closed, Alistair collapsed in his knees, and tears began to escape silently from him amber eyes.

“What have I done to you?!” he asked angrily to the ceiling. “Didn’t I suffered enough? Did you hate me so much to take _her_  from me?!” he didn’t got an answer. And he just began hitting the floor.

* * *

 

 

Some called it the second part of the Blight. The details were sketchy, but what was known is that the King himself led the assault in the city of amaranthine while the Wardens defended the Vigil’s. Another thing that was know was that the King himself had slayed the Broodmother that had created much of the intelligent darkspawn and the strange creature that called himself the Architect. The King’s popularity soared, and the kingdom hadn’t been as unified like this since the expulsion of the Orlesians.

The King’s popularity was such that not even the Revered mother from Denerim chantry objected to the immediate humiliation and execution of Knight Captain Rylock. People in Denerim threw her rocks and rotten vegetables as half the city was mad with grief by the loss of the Hero of Ferelden. It was the King himself who carried the execution, even after Ser Rylock continued saying in tears how she was only doing her duty. She continued screaming this even as the sword went down her throat.

The King instead convinced the Landsmeet to severely restrict the Templar movements in Ferelden as a whole. Cries of protest did eventually came from Orlais but fell on deaf ears, and suddenly Kinloch Hold had only a skeleton crew of templars. Meges instead began getting liberties, not previously considered, like visiting their families or live outside the circle as long as they checked on with the First Enchanter once every three months. Ferelden mourned, but nobody mourned as hard as the King, who refused to wear black for almost ten years. The marriage suggestions fell quietly on the ground. The king was not interested.

  
He swore he would never will.

**Author's Note:**

> I might add more (angst) eventually.


End file.
